A Democratic Socialist Blog

The Mess in The Middle East

As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion,—as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility, of Mussulmen [Muslims],—and as the said States never entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mahometan [Mohammedan] nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries. (Libya)
President John Adams

The War in Afghanistan was started on the praxis of yet more policy lies. After the Russians are driven out of Afghanistan with support from America the country is left to be ravaged by opposing factions of brutal warlords. The stories that reported here are incredibly brutal, with rape and murder becoming a commonplace thing in the Afghan scenery at this time. Some of these warlords who fought for power between 92 and 96 when the power vacuum developed would later become part of the new Afghan government under Hamid Karzai that America and Nato now support.
The Soviet empire had bombed and killed their way all across Afghanistan and now the warlords fighting was continuing to tear the place apart. Finally the Taliban took power in 98 and this brought some initial stability to the country but at a high price. Human rights suffered immensely. The excuse was to go after Osama Bin Laden for the 9/11 attacks.
Now US Companies hire human trafficking labor force. Malalai Joya has written a lucid book called “A woman among warlords-The extraordinary story of an Afghan who dared to raise her voice.”.In it she tells of her upbringing during the war in Afghanistan in the 1980’s. She describes how the family had to flee the fighting and live in dangerous conditions in Iranian refugee camps where many Afghans were persecuted. Then the family took refuge in Pakistani refugee camps where many of the Afghan orphans would later be recruited into the Taliban. After the Russians are driven out of Afghanistan with support from America the country is left to be ravaged by opposing factions of brutal warlords. As she served in office there where seven assignation attempts on her life.
We were fooled into the Iraq with the lie of weapons of Mass Destruction. the invasion was contrary to not only recent US policy and historical US practice but was contrary to common sense and against both the short-term and long-term interests of the United States.

The first blunder occurred shortly after 9/11. The CIA had bin Laden literally in its sights at Tora Bora but through bureaucratic blunders let him slip away. Here is Bush’s reaction a year later on March, 2003:

“And again, I don’t know where he [bin Laden] is. I – I’ll repeat what I said. I truly am not that concerned about him.”

With this statement Bush betrayed the American people and turned to the invasion of Iraq so that he could run for reelection in 2004 as a war-time president or one who had just won an easy war. But Bush did state hos doctrine of “Endless Wars”. This caters to the Military Industrial Complex

The invasion was indeed easy, but then began the blunders. One of the worst was the failure to employ the defeated Ba’th Party troops in peacekeeping roles or to employ them at all. Consequently they became part of the insurgency.

And here is an example of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld’s reaction to the blunders: “Stuff Happens. And it’s untidy. Freedom’s untidy and free people are free to make mistakes and commit crimes and do bad things.”

Aside from the needless and horrific loss of life that Bush caused with the invasion of Iraq and his stumbling in Afghanistan (Many cite studies that estimate that the number of deaths directly or indirectly caused by the wars was over a million) was the sheer economic cost. It is staggering.

“Since October 7, 2001, the government of the United States has spent an average of $ 3,990 per second, $ 14,400,000 per hour, $ 2,410,000,000 per week, $ 125,000,000,000 per year for the twelve years, to date, of war in Afghanistan and Iraq. That totals about $ 4,390 for every man, woman, and child in the US or about $ 17,600 for a family of four.”

Now a group known as ISIS has come out of this (Islamic State of Syria and Iraq.) As a result of Bush’s policy in turning th Shia into mashed potatoes. Yet more exploitation and genocide.
So, now, before the ISIS crisis. Iraq used US Weapons to displace and destroy 40,000 homes. Depleted Uranium and chemical weapons have contaminated our military and Iraqi civilians. Large amounts of infantile birth defects.
ISIS recently stole these weapons and transported them to Syria.